Tastes Better From Scratch

Everything tastes better homemade!

  • About
  • Custom Meal Plan
  • Recipes
You are here: Home / Main Dish / Creamy Tomato, Basil, Parmesan Soup

Creamy Tomato, Basil, Parmesan Soup

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
The BEST Creamy Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup you can make in the Slow Cooker OR on the Stove top!
The BEST Creamy Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup you can make in the Slow Cooker OR on the Stove top! | Tastes Better From Scratch
Update 2/25/2016: This Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup is still one of the most popular recipes on my blog!
The BEST Creamy Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup you can make in the Slow Cooker OR on the Stove top! | Tastes Better From Scratch
I wanted to update it with some better pictures and give instructions for making it in the Slow Cooker OR on the stove top.
The BEST Creamy Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup you can make in the Slow Cooker OR on the Stove top! | Tastes Better From Scratch
I LOVE this soup! I have a few different recipes for tomato, basil soup but I love this one because it has veggies hidden inside it! It tastes great and is a little more nutritious than a typical creamy tomato soup. It’s also super yummy served the next day if you want to make it in advance or have some yummy leftovers in your fridge!
Consider trying one of these classic soup recipes:
  • Spicy Chicken Soup 
  • Chicken Noodle Soup
  • Taco Soup
  • Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
  • French Onion Soup
  • Chile Verde Soup

You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST for more great recipes!

5 from 6 votes
Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup (Slow Cooker OR Stove top!) | Tastes Better From Scratch
Creamy Tomato, Basil, Parmesan Soup
Print Recipe
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
40 mins
 

The BEST Creamy Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup you can make in the Slow Cooker OR on the Stove top!

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: easy tomato basil soup, healthy tomato soup recipe, tomato basil soup
Unit: cup, ounce can, Tablespoon, teaspoon
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 264 kcal
Author: Lauren Allen
Ingredients
  • 2 14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes , with the juice
  • 1 cup carrot , finely diced
  • 1 cup onion , finely diced
  • 1 cup celery , finely diced
  • 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves (Tbs fresh oregano)
  • ¼ cup fresh basil leaves (or 1 Tbsp dry basil)
  • ½ cup butter
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 1½ cups half and half (or whole milk)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
For the Slow Cooker:
  1. Add diced tomatoes, carrots, onions, celery, tomato paste, chicken broth, oregano, and basil to your slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours until flavors are blended and vegetables are soft.
  2. About 30 minutes before the soup is ready, prepare a roux. Melt the butter over medium low heat in a skillet and add the flour. Whisk together constantly for about 10 minutes or until the roux is a nice golden brown color. Slowly add 1 cup of the soup from the slow cooker to the roux--it will start to form a thick paste.  Slowly add another 3 cups of warm soup to the roux. Whisk together until smooth. Add the roux mixture to the slow cooker and stir to combine.
  3. Pour soup into blender (you may need to do this in batches, depending on how big your blender is)
  4. Purée until smooth. Return to the slow cooker.
  5. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, half and half (or milk), and salt and pepper. Add additional oregano and basil if needed, to taste. Stir well. Cover and cook on low for another 20-30 minutes or until warm.
  6. Try it served in a yummy homemade bread bowl!
For the Stove Top:
  1. Add diced tomatoes, carrots, onions, celery, tomato paste, chicken broth, oregano, and basil to a large soup pot. Bring to a gently boil and cook for several minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
  2. In a separate pot, prepare the roux. Add butter to the pot over medium low heat and allow to melt. Stir in the flour and whisk together constantly for about 10 minutes or until the roux is a nice golden brown color. Slowly add 1 cup of the soup from the other pot to the roux--it will start to form a thick paste.  Slowly add another 3 cups of warm soup to the roux. Whisk together until smooth. Add the roux mixture to soup pot and stir to combine.
  3. Pour soup into blender (you may need to do this in batches, depending on how big your blender is)
  4. Purée until smooth. Return to soup pot.
  5. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, half and half (or milk), and salt and pepper. Add additional oregano and basil if needed, to taste. Stir well. Cook for a few more minutes until warmed through.
  6. Try it served in a yummy homemade bread bowl!
Recipe Notes

Adapted from The Recipe Critic. 

Nutrition Facts
Creamy Tomato, Basil, Parmesan Soup
Amount Per Serving
Calories 264 Calories from Fat 180
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g 31%
Saturated Fat 12g 60%
Cholesterol 55mg 18%
Sodium 1095mg 46%
Potassium 326mg 9%
Total Carbohydrates 13g 4%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Sugars 2g
Protein 7g 14%
Vitamin A 68.9%
Vitamin C 15.1%
Calcium 22.6%
Iron 5.8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Have you tried this recipe?!

RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.

 

The BEST Creamy Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup you can make in the Slow Cooker OR on the Stove top! | Tastes Better From Scratch

Pin
Share
Tweet
Email
+1


Main Dish· Skinny Main Dish· Slow Cooker· Soup
51 Comments

« Homemade Bread Bowls
Teriyaki Pork {Slow Cooker} »

Comments

  1. Jessica W says

    December 14, 2013 at 4:37 pm

    Oh my goodness, I am going to put this in the crock pot right now! Looks delish 🙂

    Reply
  2. Anonymous says

    December 17, 2013 at 11:52 pm

    They all look yummy. Tess

    Reply
  3. L'Artisan says

    December 28, 2013 at 7:06 pm

    If I were to use fresh tomatoes instead of canned, how many do you think I would need? And is the Parmesan cheese the shredded Parm, or the spaghetti cheese? This looks amazing, my kids love tomato soup and grilled cheese! Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Lauren Allen says

      December 31, 2013 at 9:02 pm

      I would use about 5 large fresh tomatoes and I like to use freshly grated Parmesan cheese, not the powder kind! Hope you love this soup as much as I do!

      Reply
      • Misty says

        October 26, 2014 at 2:27 am

        Thanks! I was wondering about the Parm. cheese, too. I don’t like carrots, but I love creamy tomato soups and this sounds good – and in the end the carrots get all pureed. So, even though I’m going to make it and I know what’s in it I’m going to pretend I don’t, but still get some good, healthy carrot benefits.

        Reply
  4. J. Valentine says

    January 3, 2014 at 5:12 pm

    I made some 2 days ago and it is so yummy! I used powdered Parmesan and my soup had a slightly grainy texture to it. The flavor was still wonderful, but the texture was less bisque like. Next time I make this, I will definitely use a better quality grated Parmesan.

    Question, do you think I could combine all the ingredients up to the point of starting the crock pot and freeze it? I could make a few batches and just pop one in the crock pot when I’m craving this soup!

    Reply
    • Lauren Allen says

      January 4, 2014 at 4:53 am

      I’m so glad you liked it! Yes it definitely tastes best with freshly grated parmesan! And I think that’s a great idea to freeze the ingredients beforehand and then throw them in the crockpot when you’re ready and add the rue the day you decide to make the soup! That would work great!

      Reply
  5. Anonymous says

    January 4, 2014 at 12:47 am

    Would I be able to make this the night before? Or would the veggies get to soft?

    Reply
    • Lauren Allen says

      January 4, 2014 at 4:55 am

      I honestly think the soup tastes even better the next day! I put the soup in the blender at the end so that’s it’s really smooth and creamy….but if you don’t want to blend it I still think the chunky veggies would taste great the next day.

      Reply
  6. Anonymous says

    January 24, 2014 at 6:46 pm

    Instead of the blender, could you use a hand-mixer…or maybe pour the soup into the bowl of a KitchenAide? My blender jar isn’t very big…

    Reply
    • Lauren Allen says

      January 25, 2014 at 11:47 pm

      I have a small blender jar as well so I just blend the soup in batches. But you could definitely try a hand mixer…the result probably won’t be as smoothly pureed but the soup doesn’t have to be blended either. Some people like it with more veggie chunks in it…. Hope this helps 🙂

      Reply
  7. Anonymous says

    February 10, 2014 at 2:59 am

    Just made this…very yummy. Cut a few calories using Nonfat condensed milk.

    Reply
  8. Jackie says

    August 26, 2014 at 7:37 pm

    Could i use gluten free flour?

    Reply
    • Lauren Allen says

      August 27, 2014 at 8:33 am

      Hi Jackie, I’ve never worked with gluten free flour so I couldn’t say for sure–the flour in this recipe is just used as a thickening agent so worse case scenario, your soup might not be as thick, but would still taste great!

      Reply
    • Laura Loo says

      January 25, 2015 at 4:06 pm

      I often use tapioca to thicken stews and soups….I am sure it would work here….

      Reply
  9. Stacey says

    September 3, 2014 at 7:51 pm

    I was wondering if you could also use cornstarch or a gluten free flour to thicken it? It sounds amazing and would love to try it now that it’s almost fall

    Reply
    • Lauren Allen says

      September 4, 2014 at 12:33 pm

      Hi Stacey, you could use gluten free flour. If you use cornstarch you wouldn’t use as much (probably only 1-2 Tbsp to start) and make sure to mix it with a little bit of water first! Hope you love it!

      Reply
  10. em says

    September 27, 2014 at 11:41 am

    Have you ever tried adding lemon zest or lemon grass while it is cooking? (you remove lemon grass before serving)

    Reply
    • Lauren Allen says

      September 27, 2014 at 5:18 pm

      I’ve never tried it but it definitely could be yummy! Let me know how you like it if you try it!

      Reply
  11. Kim says

    October 5, 2014 at 8:03 am

    This sounds delicious! Do you think I could substitute heavy cream for the half and half? It’s in my fridge and half and half is not 😛

    Reply
    • Lauren Allen says

      October 5, 2014 at 9:06 am

      Hi Kim, that should work great!

      Reply
  12. Gianellia says

    November 16, 2014 at 5:50 pm

    I added a small can of tomato paste, one additional cup of broth and more salt and pepper. Then, 1/4 cup 25 year balsamic vinegar… Delicious!

    Reply
  13. anna clark says

    November 17, 2014 at 6:56 pm

    Could the first part be turned up to high for a bit to cook the soup faster?

    Reply
    • Lauren Allen says

      November 18, 2014 at 7:11 pm

      Hi Anna, Do you mean could you cook the first part in a pot rather than the slow cooker? Yes, you could!

      Reply
  14. Cyndi says

    November 28, 2014 at 10:50 am

    I made this in my Vitamix. I made the roux on the stovetop to prevent a “floury” taste. I then put all the ingredients, including the roux, into the Vitamix–except the broth and Parmesan cheese. I ran it until it was very, very hot. Then I added the cheese and pulsed several times. The cheese did not melt entirely, which was perfect. I completely omitted the broth!! The result was a very thick, restaurant-quality, amazing soup!

    Reply
    • Lauren Allen says

      November 28, 2014 at 12:23 pm

      Thanks for commenting–your adaptions sound wonderful 🙂

      Reply
  15. Sara @ Don't Feed After Midnight says

    January 26, 2015 at 11:59 am

    What is Half & Half? I’ve never heard of it here in the UK! Loving the sound of this soup and any comfort food that can be made in the slow cooker is always a winner!

    Reply
    • Lauren Allen says

      January 26, 2015 at 6:00 pm

      It is basically half cream, half milk. You could substitute half cream and half milk, or you could even use evaporated milk 🙂

      Reply
  16. Jody says

    February 16, 2015 at 4:22 pm

    Made this for dinner this evening with grilled ham and cheese sandwiches… It was AWESOME! I used only 1/4 cup of both the flour and butter in the roux. The veggies make it so filling and secretly healthier, and I was so pleased!! I used an immersion blender which made for easier cleanup…. Can’t wait to try it with fresh tomatoes and basil in the summer! Thanks so much!

    Reply
    • Lauren Allen says

      February 16, 2015 at 6:02 pm

      YUM! My mom recently told me she cuts down the butter as well–glad you liked it! Thanks for commenting!

      Reply
  17. Martha says

    February 22, 2015 at 1:16 pm

    Just made this and it is delicious!! No need to puree if you like it a little chunky. I also added 1 TBS of minced garlic.

    Reply
  18. Mary says

    March 1, 2015 at 6:52 pm

    We made this for dinner tonight and my family LOVED this soup!! I did not blend it at the end though, I served it right out of the crock pot. It was just as delicious. They were already asking when I will make this again!

    Reply
    • Lauren Allen says

      March 2, 2015 at 8:05 am

      Very happy to hear it! Thanks for commenting 🙂

      Reply
  19. Karen Wade says

    October 25, 2015 at 11:37 am

    How would I change the cooking time if I was making this on the stove?

    Reply
    • Lauren Allen says

      October 27, 2015 at 8:09 am

      Hi Karen, to make it in a saucepan, add all of the veggies to the pan and saute. Add the tomatoes, paste, chicken broth and seasoning and cook until the veggies are tender. Make and add the roux according to the directions.I would blend it at this point (if you want to blend it). Then add the half and half, parmesan and any other spices, to taste. Heat through.
      Enjoy!

      Reply
  20. erica says

    January 13, 2016 at 9:37 am

    I had planned on making this soup today but I woke up late and didn’t have prep time. I was anxiously scanning the comments section in hopes of finding a stove adaptation and now I’m so glad I did. Thanks for adding it, now I can rush home and make the soup after work!

    Reply
  21. Lindsey says

    February 6, 2016 at 4:05 pm

    I’ve made this soup many times now, this is definitely a favorite! I double or every time and serve with grilled cheese. The only tweak I do is a clove or two of garlic.

    Reply
  22. AshleyP says

    February 22, 2016 at 2:20 pm

    Wondering if I could freeze 1/2 the soup. Thinking if either making a double batch or freezing half of it. Expecting a baby in a few weeks so trying to meal prep. This soup is amazing! Made it before, but never froze it. Should I cook it all then freeze it, or freeze before cooking? Thx so much!

    Reply
    • Lauren Allen says

      February 23, 2016 at 10:38 am

      Hi Ashley, I think freezing it after cooking it would work great! Congratulations on having a baby soon! Hope it goes smoothly for you 🙂

      Reply
  23. Dominique says

    June 5, 2016 at 8:34 am

    I don’t really use dairy products, is the whole milk or half and half required? Is there an alternative I could use?

    Reply
    • Lauren Allen says

      June 6, 2016 at 8:22 am

      Hi Domique, they just make it creamier–you could try almond milk or coconut milk–they will give a slightly different flavor but I think they’ll still be yummy!

      Reply
  24. Diana says

    June 27, 2016 at 6:05 pm

    Made this last night. It tasted very diluted to me. Why add in so much milk and then thicken the soup with flour? Next time I’ll omit both steps.

    Reply
  25. Darci Edwards says

    November 14, 2016 at 2:36 pm

    Do you know what the nutritional information is for each serving ?

    Reply
  26. Katy Okelberry says

    December 7, 2017 at 2:15 pm

    This soup is so amazing, it is my very favorite soup recipe. It’s not too acidic like some tomato soups are, perfectly creamy and cheesy, and it makes me feel a little better that there are veggies hidden in there! I recently made it for my toddler and she likes it as much as I do! It is the ultimate yummy soup 🙂

    Reply
  27. Kelly says

    February 1, 2018 at 6:20 pm

    I made this soup on the stovetop. It was delicious! Easy to make, I recommend this recipe.

    Reply
  28. Lydia says

    April 5, 2018 at 1:52 pm

    Hands down best tomato soup I’ve ever made. It is officially a family favorite now!

    Reply
    • Lauren Allen says

      April 5, 2018 at 4:38 pm

      Thanks so much Lydia! I’m so happy your family enjoyed it so much. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
  29. Amber says

    September 3, 2018 at 6:20 pm

    Young wife here, learning to meal plan and came across your site. I am absolutely in love so far!! This recipe is absolutely amazing, again I’m a total beginner in the kitchen and I actually pulled this one off, so easy and soooo delish! Thank you soo much for all your hard work on the meal plans and recipes!

    Reply
    • Lauren Allen says

      September 4, 2018 at 9:58 am

      I’m so happy to hear that, thanks Amber! Hope you find more great recipes here to try for your new family 🙂

      Reply
  30. Jodie says

    October 21, 2018 at 3:52 pm

    I have made this several times and my kiddo with a strong dislike for tomatoes, can not get enough. Thanks for such a great recipe that sneaks in veggies!

    Reply
  31. Carly says

    December 10, 2018 at 2:42 pm

    I made this soup with grilled cheese sandwiches for a girl’s night in and it was delicious! I love that it is chock full of veggies, but tastes so decadent! And so easy to make!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of 3 and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos. Read More
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Never Miss a Recipe!

Recipe Key

  • Appetizers
  • Desserts
  • Main Dish
  • Instant Pot
  • Pasta
  • Salads
  • Side Dishes
  • Snacks
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2010-2019 | Contact Me | Privacy Policy

Tastes Better From Scratch

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkPrivacy policy